Screw-driver attachment



1. v. WORK.

SCREW DRIVER ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2, 192|.

LQQQQYOB. Pateqted Aug. 1, 1922.

JOSEPH V. WORK, 0F PALISAIDE, NEBRASKA.

SCREW-DRIVER ATTACHMENT.

ily/124,7 @3.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ug. 1, 1922.

Application filed November 12, 1921. Serial No. 514,782.

10 all whom t may concern l Be it known thatvl, JOSEPH V. lVonK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palisade, in the county of Hitchcock and State of Nebraska, have invented aI new and useful Screw-Driver Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has reference to an attachment for screw drivers.

My object is to provide a screw driver with means whereby a screw will be effectively supported thereon preparatory to the driving of the screw, and wherein the means sustaining the screw will automatically rei lease the latter after the saidzscrew has been driven home a determined distance.

A further object is to produce a screw holding attachment for screw drivers which includes spring influenced jaws designed to grip therebetween the screw so that the kerf in the head thereof will receive therein the bit of the screw driver, and whereby the screw will be effectively supported to permit of the same being driven home either in a straight direction or at desired angles, and wherein means influenced by the pressure of the screw driver in the direction of the screw will force the jaws to screw re` leasing position so that the screw can be driven entirely home.

It is a still further object to produce a screw holding attachment for screw drivers which is removably associated with the screw driver and which may be adjusted thereon to compensate for the varying lengths of screws engaged thereby, and which is of a construction whereby the holding means will notl turn with the screw driver and will exert only a gentle pressure against the work which the screw enters, so that injury to such work will not occur.

The foregoing objects, and othersl which will present themselves as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by av construction, combination and operative association of parts, such as is disclosed by the drawings which accompany and which form part of this specification.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the im provement in applied position, the dotted lines illustrating the arrangement of the jaws when the screw has been driven entirely home, or when a screw is to be arranged between the said jaws.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, with parts in section.

Figure 3 is a view taken at right angles to the showing in Figures 1 and 2.

In the drawings, have illustratedmy improvement applied to a screw driver of the ordinary construction. The shank 1 of the screw driver has the usual handle 2 secured on one of its ends, its opposite or outer end being shaped to 'provide the screw engaging bit 2. By reference to the drawings, it will be seen that the bit 2 has its widest cross sectional diameterequalling that of the shank 1.

In carrying out my improvement, I slide over the bit 2 on to the shank 1 a collar 3. The collar has a threaded' opening therethrough for the reception oi a. binding screw l the said screw engaging the shank holds the collar adjustable thereon. The collar has its outer end preferably enlarged and centrally depressed to form the same with an annular 'flange 6.

Freely slidable and rotatable on the shank 1 there is a sleeve 7. This sleeve has its outer end formed with a head 8 which is normally contacted by thecollar 3, in va. manner which will presently be described. The head 8 has an outwardly projected 'arm 9 which terminates in a rounded end. Pivoted, as at 11 to the arm 9 there is an angle lever 12. Between the lever 12 andthe rounded end oi the arm 9 there is a flat spring 13 which normally holds the levcr'in one posit-ion with respect to the arm. The upper or angle end 14 of the lever is notched to provide the same with a depending tooth 15 which is disposed over the flange 6 and received in the depressed outer end of the collar 3.

On the end of the sleeve opposite that provided with the head 8 there is a pair of oppositely disposed projections in the nature of arms 16 respectively, the said arms having their ends arranged at a downward angle` and formed with lateral extensions 17. Thus the arms are substantially T-shaped in lan.

urrounding and slidable on the sleeve 7 there is a second sleeve 18. The sleeve 18 has its outer end' formed with oppositely disposed out-wardly projecting fingers 19 respectively, and to each of these lingers there is pivoted, as at 2O the upper or. outer ond of jaw members 21 respectively. The jaw members have their lower portions arranged at an inward inclination and the inner faces thereof are formed with longitudinally cxtending T-shaped grooves 22 vrespectively vto receive therein the lateral extensions 17 on the arms 16 of the sleeve 7. of the jaws are indicated by the numeral 23, the same being provided' with registering` notches 24 to receive therebetween a' screw;

Exerting a tension between the head S of the sleeve 7 and the upper or outer end of the sleeve 1S there is a helical spring 25.

In arranging a screw between the jaws 21, the operator grasps the said jaws to move the same against lthe pressure of the spring 25 in the direction ofthe `handle 2 of the screw driver. Because of the contacting engagement-ofthe T-shaped arms 1G in the grooves of the jaws, andthe angular relation of these parts, it will be apparent that the jaws will be moved away fromeach other. The kerfed head ofthescrew then receives the bit of the screw driver and lpressure on the jaws is released to permit ofthe spring 25' returning the jaws to initial position to ygrip the screw' therebetween.v The screw is turned by the screw driver in the usual manner. rlhe screw will be held vbetween zthe jawsuntil partly screwed home, and thereafter when pressure in the direction of the screw is eX- erted by the screw driver, the collar 6 contacting the head 8 of the sleeve :7 will move the same toward the bit end of the screw driver, causing the arm 16 `to spread the jaws 21 away from each other, thus releasing the screw from engagementbythe jaw. Because of the loose arrangementof the sleeves on each other, and on the shank 1 the j aws will not turn with the turningof the screwdriver, and the only pressure exerted by the jaws on the work which `the screw enters is incident to the influence ofthe comparatively light spring 25 with the result that no inv jury will fbe, in'l'iicted to the work. The lever engagement with the flanged end 6 of the collar 3 permits of the ready removal of the attachment from the screw driver, it being apparent that a pressure on the end of the straight end of the arm of the angle lever 12 will swing the same on its pivot ll1 to bring the tooth 15 out of contact with the Harige 6, when the device as a whole canbe slid over'the bitend of the screw driver. lt

will also -be apparent that by adjusting the collar 3 on the shank l the engaging'ends 22 of the jaws 2-1 can be regulated with respect to the bitofthe screw driver,so that screws of varying lengths can be properly engaged by the improvement. It is also thought that the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the drawings will fully set forth the construction and advantages of the improvement.

I claim- 1. rlhe combination with a screw driver having an adjustable collarvthereon, a screw holdcrattachment therefor, comprising pivotally supported spring influenced screw engaging'jaws, means on the shank of the screw driver contacting the collar and en` gaging ietween the jaws to swing the jaws away from each other when pressure, to a determined extent, is exerted thereagainst, and means removably associating the last mentioned meansy with the collar.

2. vThe combination with a screw driver, of a slidable and rotatable sleeve adjustably and removably sustained on the shank thereof, a second sleeve slidable on .the first mentioned sleeve, oppositely arranged screwengaging `j aws pivotally associated with the last mentioned sleeve and having their active ends normallyfdisposed outward from the bit of the screw driver, and means on'the first mentioned sleeve coengaging with the confronting faces of the j aws whereby, when a determined `,pressure is exerted on 'the screw driver the latter will move the Yfirst mentioned jaw causing the last mentioned means to spread the jaws away from each other `and release a screw from therebetween.

3. The combination with a screw driver having an adjustable collar thereon, of a sleeve slldably and rotatably arranged on the shank of the screw driver, a head on the inner end of the sleeve, a spring influenced angle lever supported r'from the sleeve and in contacting engagement with the outer face lof the collar, asecond sleeve arranged for slidable movement on the first mentioned sleeve, a helical spring surrounding the first mentioned sleeve, in contact with the head thereof and in contact with the last mentioned sleeve, oppositely ydisposed screw engaging jaws pivotally secured to the ylast o mentioned sleeve and having their active 110 ends normally disposed outwardly fof the bit of the screw driver, and laterally extending means on the lirstrmentioned sleeve coengaging in the confronting faces of they jaws for movingthe jaws away from each other when a determined pressure is exerted on the said first mentioned sleeveby the pressure of the screwdriver thereagainst, and said spring designed to return the jaws to initial `position when such pressure is relieved.

4t. The combination with a screwdriver having 'a fianged adjustable collar thereon, of a'screw holding attachment therefor, com.` prising a headed sleeve slidably arranged on the shank of the screw driver, an angle arm 125 extending from the head, an angle lever pivoted to the arm, and said leverhaving one of its branches toothedto engage theflange of the collar, spring means betweenthe arm j and lever retaining lthe latter in collar en- 13o gageinent, opposed arms on the outer end of the sleeve having inwardlyl inclined ends which are flanged laterally, a second and shorter collar mounted on therst mentioned 5 collar, a spring surrounding the first nientioned collar exerting a pressure between the head thereof and the last mentioned collar, a

pair of opposed jaws pivotally secured to the last mentioned collar having inner angle portions provided With longitudinal T-shaped grooves that receive the ends of the arms on the first mentioned collar therein, all as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH V. W'ORK. 

